A poem/prayer for the New Year

Prayer for this House

by Louis Untermeyer

May nothing evil cross this door
and may ill fortune never pry
about these walls may the roar and rain go by

By faith made strong these rafters will
withstand the battering of the storm.
Though all the world grow chill will keep us warm.

May peace walk softly through these rooms,
touching our lips with holy wine
until every casual corner blooms into a shrine

With laughter drown the raucous shout
and though the sheltering walls are thin
may they be strong to keep hate out and hold love in.

Images from Casa Sophia, Managua, Nicaragua, site of my latest artist residency.  

A residency in Managua, Nicaragua

I've been AWOL for a couple of weeks. But I have a good excuse: I've been out of the country. In Nicaragua to be exact. Over the past ten years my wife, Lynn, has developed a regular working relationship with a non-profit organization in Managua called Cantera. The mission of Cantera is to build a more just, equitable and sustainable society through holistic community development using the methodology of Popular Education. This year Cantera invited me to accompany Lynn in the capacity of artist in residence for a two-week period. We just returned last night.

During my residency I wrote poetry and made photographs that I hope capture a little of the resilient spirit of Nicaragua. On the one hand it is a tropical land with abundant natural beauty and on the other it is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere (after Haiti.) As the residency coincided with Christmas, some of the images reflect the season, which looks very different in Managua than it does in Milwaukee! I'm still editing the poetry but here is one of two initial selections of photos. The other set can be seen on my Urban Wilderness blog.

To see a different selection of photos from my residency go to Urban Wilderness.

Art in Bloom at Milwaukee Art Museum

Springtime comes early at the Milwaukee Art Museum, floral bouquets fill galleries throughout its various spaces, and mobs of people come to enjoy the combination of traditional and horticultural arts. The florists endeavor not only to create extraordinary arrangements but to reflect on a particular work of art in the collection. In my opinion, some tried too hard to mimic the work that inspired them, while the more successful ones achieved a congruent mood through color and gesture.

So, here are a few snapshots from the displays. Coincidentally, many of the flower arrangements that most appealed to me related to some of my favorite paintings, sculptures, and artists. See if you recognize the artists that inspired the selections below. (There will be a quiz at the end.)

A

B
This one was the People's Choice Award winner

C

D

E

F
This one was the First Place Award winner

G
For those trying to guess the artist, a fair warning:
this one is a "trick question"!

OK, So how many of the artists who were the inspiration for the floral designers do you know? Feel free to leave a comment with the answers cued to the identifying letters A - G.